Single-Element Mobile Purchasing Interface for Streamlined Checkout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumers face inconvenience when purchasing items from mobile devices as they need to navigate through multiple screens and perform various operational inputs to add items to a shopping cart and complete the purchase process.
Innovation Solution
A method that allows users to perform operations such as adding items to a shopping cart and completing purchases using a single graphical element in a mobile computing device's graphical user interface, where a prescribed number of actions (single, double, or triple actions) trigger specific commands to the purchasing server, including adding items to a cart, providing purchasing information, and completing orders without navigating through multiple screens.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If consumers use traditional multi-screen navigation to add items to shopping cart, then the purchasing process can be completed with standard interface elements, but the number of steps and user effort increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple operational inputs (add to cart, view cart, proceed to purchase) into a single graphical element. When the consumer selects this element, it performs the first operation (adding item to cart), and subsequent actions on the same element navigate to related screens without requiring separate navigation controls. This merging eliminates the need to traverse through multiple independent screens and controls.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares the purchasing workflow in advance by having the single graphical element pre-configured to trigger the add-to-cart action immediately upon selection. The subsequent navigation steps are pre-arranged so that additional actions on the same element automatically proceed to the next logical step (viewing cart, then purchase), eliminating the need for the user to search for or navigate to separate controls at each stage.
2Device complexity
If consumers navigate through multiple screens to complete purchase, then standard navigation procedures can be used, but the complexity of the user interface increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functional inputs that would traditionally require separate graphical elements and screens are merged into a single graphical element. This element responds to different user actions (single tap, double tap, long press) to perform different operations (add to cart, view cart, proceed to purchase), thereby reducing the number of interface elements and screens while maintaining full functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The single graphical element is designed with multi-functionality, serving as both the add-to-cart button and the navigation control for subsequent purchase steps. Instead of having separate dedicated buttons for each operation, this universal element adapts its function based on the user's action type, simplifying the interface while preserving all necessary operations.
3Ease of operation
If a single graphical element is used for multiple operations, then user convenience is improved, but the system must interpret multiple action types to determine the intended operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically interprets the user's intent based on the type of action detected on the single graphical element. Different action types (single tap, double tap, long press) are mapped to different operations in the purchasing workflow. This dynamic interpretation allows the system to determine the intended operation from the action characteristics rather than requiring separate static buttons for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A retail purchasing computer system associated with a retailer is described herein. The retail purchasing computer system includes a retail server computer including a processor coupled to a memory device. The retail server computer receives, from the mobile computing device, a signal including an item identifier associated with an item for sale by the retailer, accesses an item database and retrieves item information associated with the item identifier, and transmits a signal including the item information to the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device displays the item information and the operational input on the touchscreen upon receiving the signal including the item information from the retail server. The retail server computer receives a purchase signal including the item identifier and a unique user ID, transmitted when a predefined number of consecutive touch inputs of the operational input by the user via the touchscreen.